Archives for October 2018

It’s that time of year again! Join Kol’s Notes and Beagles & Bargains (and several other amazing bloggers – listed below) for the Trick or Treat giveaway hop. There’s almost $1,500 in prizes!

Trust us – you won’t want to miss this.

 

We’ll Start with the Trick: Show Your Belly

‘Show your belly’ is a trick that’s not only adorable, it’s actually useful as well!

Aside from making belly rubs even easier (and who doesn’t want that?), this trick is particularly great for grooming or vet exams. If your dog eagerly rolls onto his back, your vet will have a much easier time checking for any health issues.

If your dog already rolls over when anticipating belly rubs, this trick will be even easier to teach!

Before you start, make sure you have plenty of treats and are in your happiest, cheesiest mood. You might feel silly praising your dog so enthusiastically, but trust me, it works like a charm.

Start with your pup in a ‘down’.

Put a treat in front of the snoot and slowly move your treat hand diagonally toward the back hip. The first goal is to get your dog to relax on one hip. Once relaxing on one side, praise and treat.

With your dog still on one hip, lure in the same way as before. Take the treat from the snoot diagonally to the back hip. Following the treat gradually puts your dog in the “show your belly” position. Make sure to treat and praise!

Some dogs won’t want to follow the treat the entire way at first, and that’s okay. Break it down even further. Every time your dog follows the treat (even for a split second!), praise and offer the treat. This is also helpful for dogs who flip their heads around to see the treat, rather than roll to their back.

Slowly work toward longer stays in this position, and always keep it positive. Don’t expect your dog to pull this off at the vet after a week. Stick to belly rubs and treats while you build time.

Then, start running your hands along his sides and legs, so he learns that while a vulnerable position, you’re still keeping him safe.

Remember, you can never praise too much!

 

Now, Let’s Get to the Treats!

 

GRAND PRIZE:

$350 Gift Card to Petco
PAID FOR BY ALL PARTICIPATING BLOGGERS
This giveaway is NOT affiliated with Petco.

 

SECOND PRIZE:

Assorted KONG Dog Toys
$150 VALUE – SPONSORED BY KONG

 

THIRD PRIZE:

$100 in Wellness Pet Food Dog Treats
$100 VALUE – SPONSORED BY WELLNESS PET FOOD

 

FOURTH PRIZE:

2 Bags of Each Spike Dog Treat Recipe (8 Bags Total)
$98 VALUE – SPONSORED BY PETCUREAN

 

FIFTH PRIZE:

All Meat Bites, Jerky Bites, Chicken Chips, Jerky Strips, All Meat Crispies, and Jerky Wraps (1 Bag Each)
$78 VALUE – SPONSORED BY ONLY NATURAL PET

 

SIXTH PRIZE:

6 Month Subscription to DOGTV Online I and Love and You Fresh All Rover Dental Chews
$66 VALUE – SPONSORED BY DOGTV

 

SEVENTH PRIZE:

Four Flavors of Soft n’ Tasty Baked Bites, One Grass Fed Beef Bone Broth, and One Free Range Chicken Bone Broth
$60 VALUE – SPONSORED BY CARU PET FOOD

 

EIGHTH PRIZE:

1 Small Bag of 1mg Pumpkin Chews and 1 Large Bag of 4mg Pumpkin Chews
$56 VALUE – SPONSORED BY TREATIBLES

 

NINTH PRIZE:

Cha Cha Chicken, Bodacious Beef, and Peanutty Perfection (24 oz Bags – 3 Total)
$56 VALUE – SPONSORED BY NOAH’S BARK DOG TREATS

 

TENTH PRIZE:

Qwizl Treat Toy and Rowdies Toy
$56 VALUE – SPONSORED BY WEST PAW

 

ELEVENTH PRIZE:

Mutt Hatter Plush Toy Collection
$48 VALUE – SPONSORED BY P.L.A.Y.

 

PLUS follow ALL bloggers on Facebook & Instagram for a chance to win one of 13 SPECIAL SOCIAL MEDIA PRIZES!

 

A new giveaway will be posted each day on either Facebook or Instagram and will run for 24 hours. Each giveaway will be posted on the co-hosts’ social media pages along with a select group of bloggers. You can enter on each participating blog’s account for MORE entries! You have to enter each day for a chance to win that day’s prize.

Co-Hosts: Beagles & Bargains – Facebook | Instagram Kol’s Notes – Facebook | Instagram

Plus follow us too! It’s Dog or Nothing – Facebook | Instagram

 

WHERE TO ENTER:

Learn to Jump Through a Hula Hoop
by Kol’s Notes

Learn to Spin
by Beagles & Bargains

Learn to Come
by A Dog Walks into a Bar

Learn to Hug
by Boogie the Pug

Learn to Wear a Hat
by ChiPets

Learn to Hold a Long Down-Stay
by Dog Mom Days

Learn to Play Hide & Seek
by Fidose of Reality

Learn to Jump Through Hula Hoop Hands
by Maggie Loves Orbit

Learn to Back Up
by McSquare Doodles

Learn to Take a Bow
by My GBGV Life

Learn to Do An Obstacle Course
by My Rescued Life

Learn to Say Your Prayers
by Oh My Dog Blog

Learn to Sit Pretty
by Oh My Shih Tzu

Learn to Clean Up Your Toys
by Tenacious Little Terrier

Learn to Leg Weave
by The Broke Dog

Learn to Balance Items on Your Dog’s Head
by The Chesnut Mutts

Learn to Crawl
by Wag ‘n Woof Pets

Learn to Wave
by Wear Wag Repeat

Visit each blog for more chances to win!

Follow #TrickorTreatDogs!

 

ENTER ON IT’S DOG OR NOTHING HERE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’m so excited to share the results of Kiska’s DNA test! Thanks, everyone, for submitting your guesses–it was really interesting to get other opinions.

 

The Guesses

Let’s get started! Here’s a breakdown of the guesses–how did yours compare?

If you completed the survey, you know that I listed the most common breed guesses I hear and then added an “other” section if you had a different idea. Looking at the results, most people believe Kiska is a Great Pyrenees / Lab mix, followed closely by Great Pyrenees / Maremma and Great Pyrenees / English Cream Retriever.

 

Related: Embark DNA Test: What’s Kiska?

 

Some of the “other” guesses included:

• Pyr / Lab / Husky
• Kuvasz
• Pyr / Samoyed
• Pyr / Golden / Lab
• Pyr / Border Collie

All great responses, but my favorite “other” response was:

“Kiska is a petite Great Pyrenees.”

And you know what? The person who guessed this was absolutely right.

  

The Embark DNA Reveal

Kiska is, much to my surprise, 100% Great Pyrenees.

I was almost positive she was a mix. I would have put money on it. Turns out, she’s just our dainty, little one. Our pocket pyr <3

I was most eager to learn her breed, but I couldn’t wait to find out her health results. Without knowing her history, I wanted to learn everything I could about her. Many of these things can’t be prevented, but I can be prepared.

Clear from 163 tested genetic diseases! Even though I know where Mauja and Atka came from, I’m going to test them as well. It never hurts to know!

It was fascinating to go through the Embark DNA test results, but I was most intrigued by their “Wolfiness Score.”

Kiska’s score came back as 3.4%, which is apparently a high score. I definitely didn’t know what it meant, but after a bit of reading, it completely makes sense for her personality.

Your dog’s Wolfiness Score is based on hundreds of markers across the genome where dogs (or almost all of them) are the same, but wolves tend to be different. These markers are thought to be related to “domestication gene sweeps” where early dogs were selected for some trait. Scientists have known about “domestication gene sweeps” for years, but do not yet know why each sweep occurred. By finding rare dogs carrying a wolf gene at a certain marker, we can make associations with behavior, size, metabolism, and development that likely caused these unique signatures of “doggyness” in the genome. – Embark

The test states that most dogs have a Wolfiness Score of 1% or less, showing Kiska does have a high score. But I still didn’t quite understand what that meant.

 

Related: My Great Pyrenees Won’t Come When Called

 

Your dog’s Wolfiness Score is not a measure of recent dog-wolf hybridization (the breed mix analysis report would tell you if your dog has any recent wolf ancestry). Instead, the wolfiness score is based on the number of wolf genetic markers your dog has in our unique wolfiness marker panel. While these wolf genes (or, more scientifically speaking, alleles) could be in your dog because it is a wolfdog hybrid, wolfiness scores below 10 are almost always due to ancient wolf genes that have survived many generations to be carried in your dog. These may date back to the original domestication event 15,000 years ago or to more recent dog-wolf matings only a few thousand years ago, but either way they are bits of a wild past that survive in your dog! – Embark

I know DNA tests aren’t 100% accurate, but I’m glad I decided to test Kiska. Now, I feel like I can actually give an answer when people ask about her breed.

 

Are you shocked by Kiska’s breed results?

 

The winner of the $50 Amazon gift card has been contacted, so be sure to check your email!

“What breed is she?”

This is a question I’ve been asked every day since this tiny, flea-ridden floof came into my life. I used to always very confidently respond, “She’s a Great Pyrenees!” She looks the part and has double dew claws, so of course, she’s a Great Pyrenees.

 

Related: Kiska: Great Pyrenees 8 Weeks

 

As Kiska grew, I started to wonder if she was mixed with something. At just over a year old, she’s a petite 75 pounds with a smooth and sleek coat. 

Then, the comments changed from, “What breed is she?” to “There’s no way she’s full pyr. She HAS to be a mix!”

I started to get annoyed. Does it matter if she’s full pyr?

Absolutely not.

I just needed to satisfy my curiosity so I could answer the question confidently. Plus, I wanted to know more about her history. So, I started researching DNA test options.

Although a bit more expensive than other options, I decided to order the Embark DNA test. Embark does more than test DNA. It tests for over 160 health conditions, which was very important for me since I don’t know Kiska’s history.

As soon as the test arrived, I eagerly ripped open the box and started reading the directions. I thought getting a cheek swab was going to be a bit of a pain, but the process they outlined is super simple.

I packed everything up and it was back in the mail the same day.

It was torture waiting for the results, and I was pretty much glued to my email just waiting for an update. Embark does a great job at keeping you in the loop throughout the process. I received updates when they got Kiska’s swab and as it went through the testing process.

 

Related: What’s Next for Kiska?

 

I squealed when I received the email that said the results were in, and spent the next 30 minutes reading the report. It was fascinating. I know Mauja and Atka are pure Pyrenees, but I’m going to test them as well to see what else I can learn.

I am so excited for the secret to be out! Enter below to guess what breed(s) do you think Kiska is? Is she a purebred Great Pyrenees? Is she a pyr mix? Is there actually any pyr in her at all?

I listed the most common breed guesses, but if you have another idea, enter it in the ‘other’ spot!

And since I’m so excited about this, let’s do a giveaway! How about a $50 Amazon gift card? If you guess the correct breed(s)

a Rafflecopter giveaway